B1 · Intermediate

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb pairs a verb with a particle to create a new meaning — look up, give up, run into. Learn how they're built, when the object can split them, and when it can't.

Level: B1 Focus: Structure & Word Order Interactive: 10 scored questions

Want to build your phrasal verb vocabulary? Try B1 Phrasal Verbs Vocabulary or C1 Phrasal Verbs Vocabulary.

The Grammar Transformer

Choose a verb. An object type.

Three separable phrasal verbs, three inseparable ones, and two object types — 12 combinations. Watch where the object can go, and where it's locked in place.

She turned off the lights.

Structure:separable: verb + particle + noun, OR verb + noun + particle

With a noun object, a separable phrasal verb can go either way: “turned off the lights” or “turned the lights off” are both correct.

Got the pattern? Jump to the practice →

The rules — with examples

Every phrasal verb sits on two independent scales: does it take an object, and can that object split it?

1. Verb + particle = new meaning

Structure

verb + preposition or adverb

look after, run into, turn off, give up

Meaning shift

the phrase means something the verb alone doesn't

give up = stop trying — nothing to do with “give”

2. Transitive vs. intransitive

Transitive — needs an object

She looked up the word.

Without an object, the sentence is incomplete: “She looked up” doesn’t make the same sense.

Intransitive — no object

The plane took off.

Complete on its own — you can’t add an object here: “took off the plane” is wrong.

3. Separable vs. inseparable

Separable

turned off the lights / turned the lights off

Noun object: either position works. Pronoun object: must go between the verb and particle — “turned them off,” never “turned off them.”

Inseparable

looked after her brother / looked after him

Object always comes after the whole verb + particle unit — noun or pronoun, no exceptions.

Common separable phrasal verbs

turn off

turn it off

Turn the TV off.

pick up

pick it up

Pick the kids up.

call off

call it off

Call the trip off.

give up

give it up

Give smoking up.

Common inseparable phrasal verbs

look after

look after it

Look after the dog.

run into

run into her

Run into a friend.

deal with

deal with it

Deal with the issue.

get over

get over it

Get over a cold.

Common pitfalls

✗Turn off them. → ✓Turn them off. A pronoun object with a separable phrasal verb must go between the verb and the particle.

✗She looked after him up. → ✓She looked after him. Inseparable phrasal verbs never split — the particle stays glued to the verb.

✗The plane took off the runway. → ✓The plane took off (from the runway). Intransitive phrasal verbs don’t take a direct object — use a preposition if you need to add detail.

✗She gave smoking up last year, up. → ✓She gave up smoking last year. With a long or clausal object, keep the particle right after the verb rather than splitting across the sentence.

Practice & score yourself

Ten questions — five multiple choice, five gap-fill. Instant scoring and a short explanation for every answer.

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Answer a question to begin.

The one rule to remember

Ask two questions about any phrasal verb: does it need an object (transitive or intransitive), and if so, can that object split it (separable or inseparable)? A pronoun object always forces a separable phrasal verb to split — turn it off, never turn off it.

Ready to build your phrasal verb vocabulary? See B1 Phrasal Verbs Vocabulary and C1 Phrasal Verbs Vocabulary.

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